I was a little nervous jumping into this novel since I did not a love a few of Alexandra Bracken's previous books, but I'm pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this novel. It was incredible to learn about Avalon and see the Arthurian legend throughout the novel. I do wish they mentioned more of the Arthurian lore a little bit more, and I would not go into this novel expecting a King Arthur retelling. I will also say I was a tad confused at the very beginning of the book. I felt like there needed to be little bit more world building when it starts. I was shocked by the ending and cannot wait for the next book to be released!

I need the second book ASAP!! This book was amazing!! The start was a bit slow but once I got a couple chapters in I was just sucked into it and could not put it down. The book follows Tamsin who decides to go on an adventure to find Nash and the ring of dispelled which can break a curse. I really love the Arthurian inspirations in this book, and when the action was happening it was happening. I cannot wait for the second book to come out! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken!

Tamsin Lark wasn’t born with the One Gift, but growing up with a guardian and brother who both did, she learned the ins and outs of breaking into crypts to get the treasures inside. After their guardian, Nash, abandons them, Tamsin and Cabell do what it takes to survive. Ten years later, rumors surface that Nash had found a ring tied to Arthurian legend - a ring that might break a curse that Cabell is under. But they aren’t the only ones looking for the ring. And in the process, they might find more than they were looking for.

I loved watching Tamsin’s relationship with her brother, Cabell. It was very sweet to see how devoted she was to him, although it was sad to see her shut herself off to everyone else. Bracken handled Tamsin’s fear of abandonment very well - I really sympathized with her. But over the course of the novel, Tamsin begins to open up to others, and it made me so happy.

Bracken also does a really great job creating mysteries and secrets that I really cared about and that kept us completely invested in the story. The pacing was perfect - as soon as we figured out one thing, another 2 questions popped up. I may or may not have gotten mad when my husband tried to talk to me 😳

I will say that I was a little confused about the different groups that Bracken introduces throughout the novel. They all had different back stories depending on who was telling them, which was a little hard to follow at times. Ultimately, though, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

If you love YA fantasy, Arthurian-based stories, and books with great character growth, look no further! Just know that you’ll get to the last page and be desperate for the next book!

Many thanks to Knopf Books, Alexandra Bracken, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken

480 Pages
Publisher: Random House Children’s, Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 4, 2023

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teens, Young Adult, Avalon, Arthurian Folklore

Tamsin does not have any magic. She must use a waxy hand of a murderer to provide light when they go on their adventures. She and her brother, Cabell, break into ancient crypts belonging to sorceresses to collect sigils and symbols that can be sold to break curses. She needs to find a ring for a sorceress but without magic, she has a disadvantage. She takes a chance using basilisk venom to gain magical vision. The ring and or Arthur’s dagger is on Avalon. She meets others to go on this journey but once they are in Avalon, but they are dumbstruck. Avalon is a wasteland. What happened to the beautiful land?

The story has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. This is a different take on the Arthurian, Morgan La Fey, and Lady in the Lake stories. If you like these stories but with a darker side, you will enjoy reading this book.

I went into this novel mostly blind except to the fact I know a lot of people enjoyed it. Now that I’ve finished it, I get the hype! I loved this story, and actually. I’m mad I put off reading it thinking I wouldn’t. The world was interesting, I was invested in the characters, and while I did see a lot of the twists coming, I did get some surprises and the ones I guessed were executed in a satisfying way. Now I’m upset I have to wait for book 2!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my digital ARC

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers, for the chance to read this amazing book!

A new Arthurian fantasy? With that cover? Sign me in!
Tamsin Lark doesn't have magic and she's not match for those who have it and the Hollowers who lived in the magical underground of Boston. But when the only person who was a family for her disappears, she's ready to do anything to get them back. That means joining in the cruel pursuit of enchanted relics to keep her and her brother Cabell alive. If not safe. Ten years later, she heard rumors about her guardian finding a powerflul ring from Arthurian legend, just before he vanished. Meeting her rival Emrys ignites her hope to find this ring, a magic that could potentially save her brother from his curse. But, of course, they are not the only ones looking for this magical ring. Forced to ally herself with her rival, they have to face dark magic, deadly secrets with the power of awaken ghosts from the past and to do anything in order to save her brother.

Immersive, brilliantly written, Silver in the bone is the story of a young woman trying to seek her destiny in the ruins of Avalon, fighting to save her brother in a tale of romance, revenge, ambition and magic, deeply interwined.
I loved everything in this book. Tamsin is a great main character, stubborn, loyal and smart and I love her relationship with Cabell and with Emrys and how they grew and change during the whole book. The writing is immersive and well paced and the setting is creative and really intriguing, capturing the readers' attention right away with magic, heartbreak, revenge and dangers from everywhere. Really recommended!

The world and lore were very interesting. Unfortunately for me the characters fell a little flat and the plot wasn't enticing. I honestly just didn't feel a strong urge to keep going at any point. Just made my way through.

I would like to start with a disclaimer: I do not know anything about original arthurian legends, nor do I care. As such, I will not be able to address whether or not this is a good adaptation of it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has a great magic system, the characters are interesting, and the world building is well done. In the end I was left wanting more, in the best way. I cannot wait to read book 2!

Please listen to our full review and author interview on our podcast, Genre Junkies. Available on most podcast platforms.

Alexandra Bracken is hands down one of the best fantasy authors of her generation. She once again transports her readers to a rich and rewarding setting. This time we are treated to an original take on an Arthurian retelling. We loved her female empowerment touches! She also uses the dark academia trope in a completely refreshing way that didn’t feel elitist or exclusionary. As fans of dark fantasy and horror, Bracken did not disappoint. There are parts of this book that are downright spooky! Though she insists she didn’t intend to write a horror novel, we aren’t sure we agree!

One of Bracken’s strength is that you can feel her passion for her subject matter. She also presents us with characters who are complex, interesting, dealing with trauma, fascinating and unforgettable. We are anxiously awaiting the next book in this duo logy.

This book was so forgettable. I felt like every time I read a chapter, I forgot everything in the previous chapter and I was constantly confused. This book was too long and there were too many moving parts to keep track of. I am curious to know more about the story so I would read the next one but it was not my favorite Alexandra Bracken book nor my favorite King Arthur retelling.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book and purchased several for our collection. This was originally requested for a program, to be shared with high schoolers at a book talk.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5
This book completely surprised me since I really did not like the other book I have read from this author, Lore. I had hope though because the actual writing craft in Lore seemed solid enough. In this book, Bracken builds on and transforms the Arthurian legend. I loved this and how she builds and destroys character relationships. As I approached the end of the book, I felt excited (and a bit relieved) that this book is the first in a series because that ending blew everything wide open.

I loved this book so much I had to buy my own physical signed copy! Bracken became an author I was interested in after her novel "Lore". Reading "Silver in the Bone" earned Bracken a place in my automatic buy list now!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC.

This was an enjoyable YA fantasy. We have lots of tropes typical to YA: the moody heroine, enemies-to-lovers, missing/dead guardian, and more.

This story is inspired by Arthurian Legend and does weave details of those legends into the book. However there is almost a zombie apocalypse type vibe to the book which is not bad just not what I was expecting haha.

There is also some surprises along the way and a cliffhanger at the end.

I do wish more had been done with the main romantic relationship as I just wanted more from it. But alas there are more books so I'm sure things will be explained and developed in the next book.

All in all a fun read and I will be picking up the sequel to see where this story goes.

There was a lot of world building in the beginning.. but it got better as it goes. And that cliffhanger!!! I need the next now, please. It didn't really stand out.. felt like another YA fantasy. but I still enjoyed it.

This was a really good YA fantasy novel, that had a fascinating plot! Overall, I would definitely recommend trying it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Silver in the Bone was a different choice for me to pick up. I come from a different place with Alexandra Bracken and that I didn't immediately love her previous books, in fact I almost DNF'd Lore (which would have made it the first book I EVER DNF'd) because I enjoyed it so little. Either way, I wanted to give Bracken's work another try and thought Silver in the Bone was a great option to do so.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going in, since the synopsis doesn't give much away, but I knew it was an Arthurian mythology story and I was excited for that - having not read something like that recently. While this was a slow start and took me quite a while to get into, mostly because the beginning world building took some time. While the start was slow I never found myself bored or tired of the story. There's so much unique to the world that Bracken has built in Silver in the Bone that I kept coming back for more.

I don;t want to give any major spoilers but the arthurian aspects are woven into the real world and the setting of Avalon, which I really loved. Bracken really made me question my own choices as characters I loved ended up not being as great as I wanted them to be - I found myself rooting for the wrong side. After the midpoint of the story I was hooked and completely engrossed in every chapter.

I'm not sure I will ever forgive Alexandra Bracken for that cliffhanger though.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoy a good story infused with the legend of King Arthur and this one did not disappoint. I was drawn in quickly and the story developed at a good pace. The world building and magic system was intriguing. I can't wait for book 2! I recommend this book to fantasy lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have absolutely adored Alexandra Bracken's books in the past and was so excited to read this one. This was no exception. There have been many King Arthur retellings but I really enjoyed this one. So many plot points and twists I didn't see coming.

This is a great book if you are new to Alexandra's books, or a returning reader!

"All sorcery is half illusion."

This is my first book by the author. I liked the concept of being inspired by King Arthur legend though it didn't come out much.

Tamsin is with no magic, she didn't ask for a life she lives. Her only motto is to save her brother Cabell from a curse until she finds herself deep in dark magic and things that might shatter all she believes.
The entire book leads us to Cabell with curse only to find another thing at the end.

The writing was good. It was intriguing and engaging. It made me want to know what happens next but somewhere later things became sort of mess.

The characters were okay. I didn't like them much, Tamsin was frustrating almost throughout. I understand she wants to do everything alone but asking for help when you need it and working together won't cause anything. Flea was my only favorite.

In the end where things take a 360° turn, I felt we are left with so many loose points and I want to know what happens next and get more clarity and details to all that happened in this.

I am expecting more from the next installment.